Jennifer Oliver

Strange Horizons 2026 A free weekly speculative fiction magazine with a global perspective.

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You don’t have to write for algorithms. You don’t have to write for trends. You can just… write for the version of you who needed this story once.

Today’s writing tip: sometimes the metaphor isn’t working because the emotion isn’t clear. Strip it back. Start again.

Jennifer Oliver Writer | Substack Stories and creative writing articles that blur the line between beauty and the unknown. Click to read Jennifer Oliver Writer, a Substack publication. Launched 3 days ago.

I've closed down my website so everything (story announcements, blog posts, news etc) will take place on my Substack from now on. Nothing bad caused this decision. I was just managing 3 websites and it was getting a bit much! Anyway, find me here: jenniferoliverwriter.substack.com

You know a book has you in a chokehold when you say "just one more chapter" and suddenly the sun is rising and you are 300 pages deep in emotional devastation.

"Write What You Know"—What It Really Means (and Why It’s Not as Limiting as You Think) Ah yes, this classic piece of writing advice. We’ve all heard it. We’ve all puzzled over it. And at some point, most of us have misunderstood it entirely.Back when I was a bright-eyed, overly…

[Blog Post] "Write What You Know"—What It Really Means (and Why It’s Not as Limiting as You Think) : buff.ly/3Xg4DcN #writingcommunity #amwriting

Hugo nominations close tomorrow. Kaleidotrope is eligible for Best Semiprozine, Editor (Short Form), Short Story, Novelette (for one 10k story), and/or Poem. It would be an honor just to be buried somewhere in the nominating stats.

Everything the zine published last year is free to read here:

Editing your own work is like finding your diary from 10 years ago. Painful, slightly embarrassing, but you have to go through it if you want growth.

Why We Keep Coming Back to Dystopian Fiction Dystopian fiction has been around for a long time, and for good reason. It takes everything we fear—loss of freedom, unchecked power, environmental collapse, technology turning against us—and dials…

[Blog Post] Why We Keep Coming Back to Dystopian Fiction : buff.ly/41zZU8w #amwriting #reading #writingcommunity

"Write what you know." Okay, but what I know is how to overthink an email for 20 minutes and cry over fictional characters at 2 AM.

Why Are We So Obsessed with Apocalypses? Recently, astronomers spotted an asteroid—2024 YR4—on a trajectory that brings it uncomfortably close to Earth in 2032. Odds of impact? About 2.3%—which sounds both reassuringly low and just high…

New blog post: Why Are We So Obsessed With Apocalypses? buff.ly/3EIeDVQ #dystopian #postapocalyptic #fantasyfiction #horrormedia

Getting (trad) published is a function of hard work and luck, mixed in proportions that you do not control.

You can control how you work and how you learn craft, but please don't obsess over that which you can't change.

I'll leave you with my father's maxim: "May luck find you working."

Magic systems don’t need 500 rules. Just one that changes everything. (Magic works, but it steals memories. Magic is infinite, but your body isn’t. Magic can bring back the dead, but they're not quite the same people.)

[Flash Fiction] The Rain City | 183 Words Title: The Rain CityGenre: FantasyWord Count: 183 words.Notes: You can find more of my published fiction, as well as free fiction, here.The first drops hit the pavement, and the city unfolds.Water…

[Flash Fiction] The Rain City | Fantasy | buff.ly/4hZ4ulV #flashfiction #fantasyfiction #writing

I've noticed that when I write a sentence I particularly like, that I think is full of atmosphere or cool imagery, I do a triumphant little hand wave at my screen. It's probably good that I write at home and not out in public, eh? #amwriting #writingcommunity

Hereditary - The Complete Guide (Everything Explained) #hereditary #explained #a24com Thank you so much for watching! Special thanks to Steve Newburn and u/Mickle-Caunle.patreon.com/novum00:00 Introduction01:48 S...

Hereditary - The Complete Guide (Everything Explained) buff.ly/40W1n7e via @DesignsNovum. An incredible 4.5 hour dive into one of the most amazing horror movies in recent years.

Always Home Who or what survives when the technologized world finally returns to nature—and what then of nature?

Another story of mine you might have missed, definitely not posted it here. www.vice.com/en/article/a...

How I deal with rejection: Keep writing new stories. Keep critiquing other people's stories. Keep reading. #amwriting #writingcommnunity

Fantasy writers spend 30% of their time writing and 70% of their time naming things. If you haven’t renamed your protagonist at least three times, are you even writing fantasy? #writingcommunity #amwriting #fantasy

WhatCulture Horror

If you're a fan of horror movies, I highly recommend What Culture Horror: https://buff.ly/3X6lMFz I'm a little obsessed with this channel right now. #HorrorMovies #HorrorMedia

There is value in reading classic literature even if you find some concepts or words to be offensive, or if the author was a terrible person by modern standards. The popular idea found in popular books that reading bad things by bad writers makes bad people is unsupported by reality.

Coming soon: Science Fiction & Fantasy Pirate-Themed Anthology! An SF&F themed anthology about pirates from the small press Zombies Need Brains!

Share this post! Just over a week left until the next ZNB #Kickstarter for the pirate-themed anth SKULL X BONES! Prelaunch page below; click that "Notify Me" button! Launching March 1st.

www.kickstarter.com/projects/znb...

#readingcommunity #booksky #fantasy #urbanfantasy #scifi #sciencefiction

Yes! Just because we’re not writing, doesn’t mean we can’t be creative. 🤩

I recommend exploring different creative mediums if you're ever stuck. I'm an illustrator/pattern designer/font maker in my other life and getting lost in a visual medium for a bit always makes me feel fresh and invigorated when I come back to #writing. #WritingCommmunity

I could plan every detail of a story before I start writing, but my characters would still find a way to ruin it. #amwriting

BBC Radio 4 - Uncanny Danny Robins investigates compelling real-life stories of the paranormal.

BBC Radio 4 - Uncanny Podcast. This is genuinely one of the best and spookiest podcasts I’ve ever found about the #paranormal. Highly recommend! #uncannypodcast

Yeah, fantasy is amazing - so many subgenres to sink our teeth into! 😀

Where the Lost Things Go: Lands of Lost Objects in Fantasy Novels Lands of lost objects often appear in fantasy novels of all ages. What purpose do they serve, and why do we find them so compelling?

Where the Lost Things Go: Lands of Lost Objects in Fantasy Novels https://buff.ly/3CK6Ru5
#writingfantasy #fantasyfiction #amwriting

I will never get tired of fantasy books where the magic is more of a problem than a solution. #writing #fantasyfiction

Writing advice: "Kill your darlings." Me, dramatically deleting a single word while keeping an entire subplot that serves no purpose except to emotionally ruin my protagonist. #writingcommunity #amwriting